IN-DEPTH NEWS

The All-Important Question

As promised, Everton FC will put the Kirkby stadium proposal to a ballot in the coming weeks, an unusual step for a Premier League organisation but one that is entirely in character with the club's traditions.

Head of Communications, Ian Ross, headed off rumours that supporters who meet the club's eligibility requirements but are under the age of 18 would be excluded from the vote with a statement earlier today.

The issue with perhaps the most potential to be contentious, however, was the actual question on the ballot itself but it will be a straightforward one:

"Based on the foregoing information, the Board is inclined to pursue the building of a new stadium in Kirkby.

The Board promised to ballot Evertonians to ascertain their views on this move.

The question is — are you in favour of relocating Everton Football Club to Kirkby?

If the answer is "No", no further negotiations on the current, proposed scheme will take place. If the answer is "yes", we will continue negotiations with our two project partners."

The "foregoing information" where the club will no doubt spell out the case for the Kirkby Project has not yet been revealed.

Former chairman, Peter Johnson, posed a similarly simple question when he put a similar move to a vote by fans 10 years ago but was criticised sharply for appearing to propagandise the issue in the brochure that accompanied the ballot card.

Unlike the previous ballot, though, the club have enlisted the Electoral Reform Society to ensure that the the vote count is handled indepedently. Also in the club's favour is the fact that the wording of the question confirms that a "no" decision will be binding.